A Puzzling Statement from Judge Scheindlin

After getting yanked from the New York City stop-and-frisk case, it’s no surprise that U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin would mount a campaign to defend herself.

But there’s something about her response to the extraordinary federal appeals court ruling that has puzzled even her own lawyer. It has to do with an assertion she made in her written statement the judge issued to the press on Oct. 31 after the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rebuked her and halted her sweeping ruling against the city’s police practices.